38 TALKS ABOUT THE SOIL. 



things. We must arrange things in groups and classes. 

 All the infinite variety in nature can be easily brought 

 into order by grouping every thing in two great classes. 

 Every thing we can see or touch, even those things we 

 can only smell or feel, as the air or a perfume, can be 

 grouped into one of the two classes. It is either an 

 organic substance, or thing ; or it is an inorganic 

 substance, or material. An organic substance is some- 

 thing that has been organized, or formed into organs 

 or parts, and has life, or has had life at some time. 

 Any creature, dead or alive, or any part of such crea- 

 ture, be it a minute bit of bone or part of a wing or 

 feather; any plant, or remains of a plant, though it 

 be only black dust where some plant has died, any 

 thing that shows organized structure, belongs to the 

 organic class. All else, minerals, metals, water, gases, 

 every thing that fails to show an organized structure, 

 and that has no life, and never had life, belongs to 

 the inorganic class. Look about carefully, and make 

 a list of twenty organic and twenty inorganic things 

 you may find in the house or out of doors. 



The soil and subsoil are composed of both organic 

 and inorganic materials. If you find in any place 

 loose materials composed wholly of inorganic sub- 

 stances, or composed only of organic materials, you 

 cannot properly call it a soil. A soil must have both, 

 though in very different proportions. The soil will 

 commonly contain more inorganic material than or- 

 ganic material. The subsoil will be the same, except 

 that it will generally contain a greater portion of 



